A note on Marasmius buxi

47 this species, to confirm the identifications. He described it in 1963 from the Kinderscout area of Derbyshire, since when it has been recorded only from near Betws-y-Coed and from Sweden. There were plenty enough discomycetes, including Desmazeriella acicola on pine needles in its uncommon perfect state, and the rarely collected 4-spored Ciboria acerina, confined despite its name to the catkins of Myrica gale. Cheilymenia fimicola was common on the New Forest pony dung. The famous fungus on this host is the stromatic pyrenomycete Poronia punctata, formerly common but now very rare in Britain outside the New Forest. It was duly found in two places, but only after a hunt, as it is mainly an autumn fungus. Dung growing Poronia also yielded other unusual species including a possibly undescribed Podospora with massive spores. Our thanks are due to many people. To the Forestry Commission and the Hants and Isle of Wight Naturalists Trust, for permission to collect in the forest and in Roydon Woods SSSI. To the staff of the Gurney-Dixon Centre who did us proud. To Brian Spooner for the workshop and to all the other speakers. To our long-suffering Foray Secretary, Bruce lng, for humping gear to and from the foray, for long hours at the computer, and for a sudden flush of chocolate and marzipan Easter mushrooms. But thanks above all to Ann Leonard, aided by Gordon Dickson for superb but unobtrusive

Soccoblastia farinacea (Hahn) Dank new to Britain. Transversely septate basidium, pro-basadial sac and spores (from collection on Fogus log. King's Hat, New Forest. 2 April 1991).

organisation throughout, not least in the production of such excellent site maps that almost Alick Hemid no one got lost all week.

A NOTE ON MARASMIUS BUXI Marasmius buxi Fr. is very small (to 4 mID cap diam), rarely recorded, but recognised by red-brown caps and being confined to Buxus leaves (B.sempervirens in western Europe, B.balearica in North Africa). A good description (Nordeloos, Persoonia 13: 249, 1987) and colour photograph (Breitenbach & Kranzlin, 1991) have recently become available. It is on the British list thanks to Peter Orton who collected it several times near Box Hill in late autumn. This note documents a further find at Mickleham Downs, Surrey, in early spring after ten years collecting in the area. A Buxus bush had been partially uprooted yet was growing healthily with many branches touching the ground, forming a damp microclimate. Under this grew a troop of about 200 basidiomes on fallen Buxus leaves in mixed litter. A 30 min search under neighbouring bushes proved unsuccessful. The site

was less than 1 Ian from the original find. Mainly hypophyllous, 1-2 mature basidiomes per leaf, but seemingly uninfected leaves carrying up to 10 initials. The spores, from a print, 10-11 (-12) x 3-4 /Lm, proved more uniform than quoted by Noordeloos, and the cheilocystidia more capitate. A few dermatocystidia were present at stem base as well as cap surface. Following a wet June, more was found under the same bush on 27 July 1991 (hot, dry weather), including some on fairly green leaves still attached to a dying twig. Seekers for this fungus are warned: Noordeloos only found his collection after 17 years searching! To maximise your chances look under native Buxus. None of the British, Dutch or Swiss collections have come from planted bushes. Alick Henrici 57 Clarendon Road, London W11 4JD